20 Popular African Dishes

The 20 Favourite African dishes: The first “barbecue” is said to have taken place in Africa, arguably, this continent could be said to be the first continent to have invented cooking.

Never the less, African dishes particularly those from the South of Sahara are yet under-represented on the scene of world culinary.

Jollof Rice (Nigeria)

Nigeria is a big country with several well defined regional cuisines and hence it is difficult attaching a national dish for this nation.

One of the dishes one should not leave Nigeria without tasting is jollof rice. This dish is a massive favourite all over West Africa. This dish is made of rice, onions, pepper and tomatoes often served at festive gatherings alongside other Nigerian best-loved dishes such as fried plantains and pounded yams (iyan or fufu) and egusi soup (bitter leaf and ground melon seeds).

Similar to Ghana’s chichinga, Shish kebabs are worth tasting as well as other dishes in Nigeria which includes, spicy okra made with spicy broths and flavoured with meat or chicken and suya.

Pap en vleis/Shisa nyama (South Africa)

Maize porridge and barbecued meat is a mixture highly cherished across several cultures, in southern Africa, and especially in South Africa, where the braaivleis is practically a national sport and a highly esteemed institution.
Literally , Maize porridge and meat, “Pap en vleis” is a garnished umbrella of a terminology that surrounds practically any mixture of stewed meat or braaied and starch, with compulsory side-serving of relish or chakalaka, spicy gravy.

Meaning “burn the meat” in Zulu, Shisa nyama has come to imply a festive “bring-and-braai” come together; most Shisa nyama restaurants are usually situated close to butchers’ shops so clients can choose their own meat and have them cooked over very hot wood fires.
Steak, chops, kebabs, chicken and boerewors – which is a spicy farmer’s sausage come accompanied by maize porridges in several various forms including krummelpap,(crumbly porridge) and suurpap (soured pap) phuthu and stywe pap
Accompany it with a local beer, and there you have South Africa before you in a plate.

Clara grew up and studied in Cameroon where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Dschang-Cameroon and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the university of Gloucestershire-UK. She is currently a volunteer administrator with the Leicester Citizens Advice Bureau. She currently writes for Africa Ranking.

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